This invention relates to automotive vehicles, and more particularly to an improved, safer automotive vehicle which is provided with a safety bumper and a two-piece frame. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an automotive vehicle having a novel, two-piece frame comprising a rear or cab section for supporting the vehicle's engine and occupants, and a forward, bumper supporting section pivotally connected to the rear section, and designed to be swung slightly out of alignment with the cab section upon collision of the bumper with another vehicle or object.
Since its infancy, the automotive industry has consistently attempted to improve upon the safety afforded to the occupants of an automotive vehicle during an unexpected collision or accident. In addition to a variety of safety devices which have been incorporated into the cab section of a vehicle--i.e., the section which supports and encloses the occupants of the vehicle--improved structural features have been incorporated in the remainder of the vehicle frame in order to reduce the shock or the impact which the occupants must absorb during an accidental collision with another vehicle, or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,258, for example, discloses an energy absorbing frame and associated bumper, which are designed to telescope slightly upon impact, thereby to absorb much of the shock which would otherwise be transmitted to the occupants of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,745 and the German publication 2,230,233, on the other hand, disclose automotive frames which are designed to support the vehicle motor in such manner that upon impact the motor will be directed downwardly or away from the occupants of the vehicle during a front-end collision of one vehicle with another. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,840,411 and 3,708,195, on the other hand, disclose modified bumper mechanisms which, in essence, are designed to cause the entire vehicle, upon impact with another vehicle, to be deflected laterally by the bumper to avoid head-on impact, or to absorb the shock of the impact.
One of the main disadvantages of prior such alleged safety devices is the fact that the devices are designed simply to absorb shock, or to cause the entire vehicle to be deflected slightly laterally upon head-on impact. In addition to absorbing shock, of course, some such frames are also designed to deflect the entire motor mount away from the passenger cab, in the event that a head-on collision would otherwise tend to drive the motor rearwardly into the passenger compartment. One of the major disadvantages of such prior art devices, however, is that they simply do not provide any means for, in effect, eliminating the major shock or impact of an accident, but merely attempt to absorb such impact.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an improved automotive vehicle frame and associated bumper mechanism which functions during an accident or collision of the vehicle to prevent any sudden shock or impact to be transmitted to the occupants of the vehicle.
A more specific object of this invention is to provide an improved vehicle frame of the type described which is designed to have a bumper bearing section of the vehicle pivotally connected to the engine and passenger bearing section of the vehicle, so that upon a head-on collision, or nearly head-on collision of the vehicle with another vehicle or object, the bumper bearing section of the vehicle will automatically be swung slightly out of alignment with the engine and passenger bearing section, thereby preventing any excessive impact or shock from being imparted to the passenger section of the vehicle.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.